Ty Beanie Baby Costume
Turn any animal outfit into a nostalgic collectible with a heart tag.
The Ty Beanie Baby costume is a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing choice that relies on a simple, brilliant DIY prop. By pairing a comfortable animal onesie or ears with the iconic red heart-shaped 'ty' tag, you instantly transform into a 90s collectible. It is incredibly comfortable, highly customizable, and perfect for all ages.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- ~30 min
- Budget
- $15–45
Try it on
See yourself as Ty Beanie Baby
One clear photo of yourself; we render you in this costume — face untouched, full body, about 20 seconds.
One render, $1. No account needed — if it fails you're not charged. Pricing.
Your photo is sent to Google's Gemini API to make the render and isn't used for training. Renders are AI-generated and labelled.
Want a different costume on this photo, or a whole group in costume? Open the Try-On Studio.
What you need for a Ty Beanie Baby costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Ty Beanie Baby costume — one box instead of 4 pieces.
Animal onesie or base outfit
A plush, full-body animal onesie (such as a bear, cat, dog, or frog) or a matching solid-color sweat suit with animal ears.
DIY: Wear a brown sweat suit and attach felt ears to a headband.
Red poster board or cardstock
Thick, sturdy red paper or poster board to construct the iconic heart-shaped tag.
DIY: Use a cardboard shipping box painted bright red.
White and yellow paint or vinyl
White paint or adhesive vinyl for the lowercase 'ty' lettering, and yellow for the thin border outline.
DIY: Cut the letters out of white printer paper and glue them on.
Ribbon or collar
A thick red or gold ribbon to hang the tag around your neck, or attach it to a collar.
DIY: Use a spare dog collar or a piece of yarn.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Ty Beanie Baby costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on your chosen plush animal onesie or base animal outfit.
- 2
Cut a large heart shape out of the red poster board, making sure it is large enough to be easily readable (about 8 to 10 inches wide).
- 3
Fold the heart in half slightly to mimic the classic book-style tag, or keep it flat.
- 4
Paint or glue the lowercase white 'ty' letters in the signature font onto the front of the red heart, adding a thin yellow outline around the letters.
- 5
Punch a hole in the upper left corner of the heart tag and thread the red ribbon through it.
- 6
Tie the ribbon loosely around your neck or pin it securely to the collar of your animal outfit.
- 7
Optional: Write a custom name and a short, rhyming poem on the inside or back of the tag to mimic the real Beanie Baby bio.
Makeup & hair
Keep it simple with a painted black nose and whiskers on your face using an eyeliner pencil. Hair can be tucked into the hood of the onesie or styled in space buns to mimic animal ears.
Ty Beanie Baby for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair up as two different classic Beanie Babies, like Peace Bear and Tabasco the Bull.
- group
- Have a whole squad wear different animal onesies, each with their own custom Ty heart tags.
- kids
- An incredibly easy and warm option for toddlers using a plush animal footie pajama set.
- Plus size
- Onesies are naturally loose-fitting and highly accommodating; a matching sweat suit set also works perfectly.
- pet
- The ultimate pet costume—simply attach a miniature DIY Ty tag to your dog or cat's collar.
Tips
- Laminate your paper heart tag or cover it in clear packing tape to protect it from spills or rain.
- Keep the ribbon loose and comfortable around your neck, or safety-pin the tag directly to the zipper of your onesie.
- Onesies can get very warm indoors; wear lightweight t-shirts and shorts underneath so you can unbutton if needed.
Ty Beanie Baby costume FAQ
- How do you make the Ty heart tag?
- Cut a heart out of red cardstock, paint the lowercase 'ty' logo in white with a yellow outline, punch a hole in the corner, and hang it around your neck with ribbon.
- What is the best base outfit for a Beanie Baby costume?
- A plush animal onesie is the easiest and most comfortable option, but you can also wear matching solid colors with animal ears.
- Can I make this a last-minute costume?
- Yes, you can print a pre-made Ty tag template from the internet, cut it out, and pin it to any animal print clothing or headband.
Did you know? Ty Beanie Babies, launched in 1993, became the world's first internet sensation and speculative investment craze, with some rare plushies still valued in the thousands of dollars.